1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cloth suitable for textile printing and an ink-jet textile printing method. In particular, the cloth of this invention is suitable for ink-jet textile printing which is mainly composed of silk fibers and which exhibits a high degree of exhaustion and high coloring property when used in the formation of a printed image by ink-jet textile printing, making it possible to obtain a clear and fine pattern. This invention also relates to an ink-jet textile printing method using such a cloth.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, screen textile printing and roller textile printing are the most common methods of textile printing. One problem with these methods is that they require preparation of a plate, so that they are not suitable for the production of a variety of articles in small quantities. Further, it is hard to quickly adapt these methods to the fashions of the day. In view of this, an electronic textile-printing system that does not require plate making is presently desired. To meet this requirement, a number of textile-printing methods based on ink-jet recording have been proposed, and much is expected of these methods from all quarters.
The following are examples of the characteristics required of a cloth used in ink-jet textile printing:
(1) Ability to allow the ink to color in sufficient density.
(2) High degree of exhaustion for the ink.
(3) Ability to allow the ink to dry quickly thereon.
(4) Little generation of irregular ink blurring thereon.
(5) Ease with which the cloth is fed within the printing apparatus.
These requirements have conventionally been satisfied by performing pre-processes on the cloth before printing.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-53492 discloses a kind of cloth having an ink-reception layer.
However, although these pre-processes have proved partly effective with respect to the above requirements, the quality of the printed image after the final process depends after all on the basic characteristics of the cloth material used. Thus, a satisfactory material cannot be obtained by such pre-processes. In particular, in the case of a cloth suitable for textile printing mainly composed of silk fibers, the basic material has a considerable influence.
Thus, although the prior-art techniques could find means capable of satisfying the above requirements to some extent, no cloth suitable for textile printing or ink-jet textile printing method has been known up to the present which satisfies all the above requirements at the same time and solves the above-mentioned problems, thereby providing an image of the highest quality.